Ballot-box



J. H. DRAKE.

Ballot-Box.

Patented April 20,1880.

N-FEIERS. FMOTD-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. DRAKE, OF PUTNAM, OHIO.

BALLOT-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,726, dated April 20, 1880.

Application filed February 18, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN H. DRAKE, of

Putnam, in the county of Muskingum and which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in ballot-boxes; and it consists in the combination of a box or frame having a recess in one side to receive the voters hand with two levers which project through slots of the frame into this opening from opposite sides, and which levers are connected to slides that operate in two separate chambers, for the purpose ofdropping a white or a black ball into a drawer below, which drawer is provided with a bell, so that the ball in falling will give notice that a vote has been cast.

It further consists in the peculiar form of the plates which are attached to the droppingslides, and which plates serve to compel the ball to enter the hole in the slide.

It further consists in the combination and arrangement of devices which will be more fully described hereinafter.

Figure 1 represents a front view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through one of the compartments.

A represents a box or frame of any desired shape, size, or construction, and which has the opening B made in its front side sufficiently large to allow the voters hand to be thrust in to operate either the white knob G or black one D without having others around see whether a white or a black ballhas been cast. These two knobs are placed upon the outer ends of the levers I which project through slots in the sides of the opening B, and which levers are pivoted at their inner ends, as shown. Fastened to each one of these levers, and passing up over a pulley, G, is a cord or chain, I, which has its other end fastened to the slide H. Each one of these slides has a shank pro- 5 jecting from its inner end, and around this shank is placed a coiled spring, 0, for the purpose of forcing the slide back to position again after it has been moved for the purpose of dropping the ball. The outer ends of these slides form the bottoms of the two compartments J, into which the white and the black balls are placed, and each one of these slides has three plates or flanges, N, projecting above their tops, for the purpose of pushing the balls directly into the hole in the slide preparatory to being dropped into the drawer below. These plates are arranged one on each side and one just opposite the center of the hole, and are beveled away at their ends in such a manner that they cannot prevent the movementof the slide, and yet will push the balls to one side in such a manner as to cause them to roll into the hole. By the use of these plates, ifonly a single ball is left in the compartment, it will be made v to enter the hole in the slide, and the plates on a bell, It, placed in one of the com partments S in the drawer T in the bottom of the box. As the ball strikes this bell a sound is made, which announces that the person has voted. Each one of the compartments S, when the drawer is drawn out, shows how many of the balls of each kind have been voted, and as each compartment is provided with a handle, V, it can be readily lifted out for the purpose of emptying the balls back into the hopperlike compartment from which they were dropped.

By thus making a compartmentinthe front I of the frame, into which the voters hand can be thrust, he can drop either a white or a black ball, as he sees fit, and that without any of those around him knowing how he has voted.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a ballot-box having an openingin one side, into which the voters hand is thrust, the combination of the two operating-levers, which project through slots in opposite sides of the opening, as shown, the two compartments to hold white and black balls, the two slides and their operating mechanism, the bells placed below the compartments, and the drawer divided into two separate chambers to receive the white and black balls, substantially as specified.

2. The slides provided with the plates N, for the purpose of preventing the balls from becoming locked together, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the operating-lever 

